Thunder's Shadow
by KrossWinter
Summary: Greatness tends to run in families, but people sometimes fail to realize that families are more than just one person. I will never be my father, but I never wanted to be. I'm my own person, with my own thoughts and voice. And I shall be heard. [Platinum Nuzlocke]


_Thunder's Shadow_

* * *

My father is considered to be the greatest Pokemon trainer prodigy of his generation.

When that statement is made, it typically just refers to him being the damn best at anything Pokemon related he sets his mind to; Pokemon battling in particular.

That's not to say that there aren't trainers just as good as him, but none of them can come anywhere close to his battle record. He remains, to date, the only Pokemon League Champion title-holder with no defeats while in office, across all regions. All challengers who came before him in the Sinnoh league, who made it past the formidable teams of the Elite Four, were immediately shot down like pests; their Pokemon on the verge of death after the battle and the trainers limping away. My mother had shown me some of his Champion-level battles. It was…intimidating, to say the least. And seeing his greatness, and understanding why everyone extoled about his power, only reinforced this distant image of him in my mind. That he was somehow above me.

People are always comparing me to my father. 'You haven't graduated from the trainer school yet? Your father was on the road and winning badges by the time he was thirteen.' 'The Champion had the type chart memorized and could adapt on the fly in a battle. You'll…get there eventually.' 'That was a good strategy, but here is how your Champion father would have done it.'

'Volkner showed an extreme aptitude for Electric-Pokemon when he was your age. Why haven't you?'

My father is Volkner Krieg, current gym leader of the Sunyshore Gym, and I hate him.

I suppose hate is a strong word to use in this situation, when all the details aren't available. After all, you wouldn't think you could come to hate a man simply because you exist in his shadow, always compared against him and always a disappointment to the people around you because you can't live up to those astronomically high expectations.

No, living in my father's shadow merely led me to dislike the man. It wasn't the fact he walked out on my mother and I that led me to hate him; leaving in search for a good fight. It is an aspect of his personality that I inherited – I am always looking for a thrilling fight. It makes me feel alive, it makes me aware of how the air is hanging in the atmosphere, of how my blood is pumping through my veins and pounding in my ears.

It was the fact he did it because he was bored. Volkner Krieg left my mother and me, because he was bored without having those fights in his life. He walked out the door of our home in Twinleaf Town, and set out for a fight to thrill him. He never turned back. I was eight years old.

My name is Vance Krieg, and I am going to climb to the top and give him that fight he's looking for. You can call that a petty reason to hate my father, my mother frequently reminds of that fact whenever he comes up as a topic of conversation, but I cannot help but think that it is mixture between the desire for a complete family and my own warrior pride that makes it a valid reason in my mind. I can only think that Volkner would concur.

* * *

"Come on Vance, hurry up! You're so slow!"

I take my time walking down the stairs of Barry's house, my fellow blonde waiting eagerly by the door. "Sandgem isn't going anywhere, Barry. There is no point in haste – it opens the door to mistakes," I said as I reached the bottom of the stairs. Barry took that as invitation to charge out the door, with me following behind him.

"I don't make mistakes! Either way, we can finally get our starters today, aren't you pumped!? We can get our trainer licenses, battle, and everything!" Barry's eyes grew wide for a moment before getting an unnatural sparkle to them that made me regret getting out of bed when he came banging on my door at four in the morning. "We can take on the Pokemon League challenge…" he said in a breathy whisper.

I sighed and pushed his shoulder to jolt him back to reality, "You need to take on the Pokemon Gym challenge first, idiot." He gave me a look and he understood the subtler thought that was going through my head – you have to take on Volkner.

Barry laughed and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right about that. Usually are," he said as we continued walking towards the edge of town. His face exploded into a huge grin, "Oh man, it's gonna be so cool! We're going to travel all over Sinnoh and see so many different places, and it'll be awesome!"

"You assume Professor Rowan will give us starters to begin with," I point out to Barry who just waves me off.

"Today is registration day and we're finally both old enough to get our trainer licenses. At the very least, he or one of his aides will help us get a starter Pokemon."

Barry had turned eighteen the night before, while my birthday was way back at the start of the year, last January. Instead of leaving right away for my journey though, I promised Barry that I would wait for him so we could both go.

My respect for him that day increased dramatically, because he knew just how badly I wanted to take on the Pokemon gym challenge so that I could face my father.

I just shake my head and pull my scarf tighter around my neck; winter had arrived sooner than expected in Twinleaf. My hair was long enough to keep my ears shielded from the cold. "Anyways, what's your plan for getting to Sandgem? Neither of us exactly have Pokemon to protect ourselves with."

Barry gave me a smug look at that. "I already took that fact into consideration, Vance old boy!"

"Call me that again and I'm going to hurt you."

"Vance old boy, now there's no need for that," Barry said, laughing until I punched him in the arm. "Geez, alright, alright. Tight-ass."

I quirk an eyebrow at him, "Well, what is your grand plan?" I'm eyeing the tall grass warily, seeing it rustle every now and then. Pokemon, even low level ones, can be dangerous to the unprotected traveller.

"Well, you know how Pokemon will charge at you if you agitate them in the grass?" He continues after I nod. "Well so here's my super 'Get to Sandgem Town without any Pokemon' plan! Just as the Pokemon starts charging at us, we can dodge to the side and run past it! Just like that, we can run our way to Sandgem without any trouble," Barry finished by slapping his fist in his palm.

I could only stare at him incredulously, wondering if he realized exactly what he was saying. "You think you can out maneuver and then out run a Starly or Bidoof?" Granted the only real threat on Route 201 between Twinleaf and Sandgem were the flocks of Starly, but the point remained the same.

Barry nodded far too enthusiastically for my tastes, but I knew it would be pointless to stop him. Barry learned things mainly through one means, and one means only: pain. Gesturing to the wilderness behind me I said, "Well, get cracking Barry. I'll be sort of behind you."

Barry could be my meatshield and keep the Starly away from me.

He glared balefully at me while I chuckled at his expense. "Are you going to do it or not!? We're strong enough to punch a Starly off if it comes at us."

Another shake of my head, "That's not the point, but alright Barry. Come on, on the count of three," I said and adopted a runner's stance.

His eyes light up like a child's as he gets into a runner's stance with me, eyes eagerly facing ahead. Seemingly sensing our intentions, the forest grows still around us and the wind blows against our backs. It's almost like a blessing.

Barry is tense as he starts the countdown, knowing that we have to run straight to Sandgem or risk the Pokemon attacking us. He may be a bit whimsical and absent minded, but he can focus when I need him to.

"Three…"

I inhale a deep breath, tensing up for the sprint.

"Two…"

A deep exhale and a moment to enjoy the silence.

"One…"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU BOYS ARE DOING!?"

Barry trips while I manage to play off the startling the voice gave me.

An elderly man came walking briskly up to us, fury evident in his eyes. I felt a little cowed standing in front of him, not entirely sure who he was. He didn't look familiar from Twinleaf Town.

"Were you about to just charge off into the wilderness!? Do you have Pokemon on your persons?" At our sheepish shaking heads, the man's snow white mustache shook like the underbelly of a Wurmple as he tried not to snap off a reprimand. It took all of my willpower not to bust out laughing. "You fools! Why would you do that!? Tell me your names, right now!"

Barry shrinks down before the old man's wrath, kicking the dirt and mutters, "Barry Williams…"

The lack of recognition at Barry's name cements the idea that the old man isn't from Twinleaf – Barry has a reputation as a trouble maker and prankster around town. Me on the other hand…

"Wait," the old man says as he regards me with a critical eye. I can already tell what's coming. "You're Volkner's boy, aren't you? I heard he had a son, I just didn't expect him to be down here. You're his spitting image."

I glare at the old man. "My name is Vance Krieg. Not 'Volkner's boy'," I growled out. It's a topic I get touchy about.

My tone takes the man by surprise. Instead of getting angrier however, he looks at me with a different light in his eyes. "Of course you are. You've got spirit, kid, just like your father."

Bastard is patronizing me. Oh, that makes me angry. Before I can fire off a retort though, another voice shouts at our gathering from the same path that the old man had just come down when Barry and I were going to make the break for Sandgem.

A black haired girl was running up the Lake Verity path. She was wearing a skirt, even with the winter settling in. No doubt that drew a few eyebrows and odd stares. "Professor, you left your briefcase down at the lake!"

I finally noticed what it was she was carrying, noting the rather big briefcase that she was obviously expending effort to carry around. But that wasn't the only curious thing that came with her appearance.

"Professor?" I muttered, looking back at the old man who was now regarding us quietly. Snow white hair and mustache. Dressed nicely. Called Professor, and within walking distance of Sandgem Town. "You're Professor Rowan?"

My accusation seems to please him, I probably stoked his ego, and he nodded in confirmation. "I am the Pokemon Professor of Sinnoh, Rowan."

I could only slap my forehead as Barry geeked out and explained the entire situation and our intents once we got to Sandgem.

Rowan was nodding along, his prior anger seemingly gone. "I see..." he muttered while he looked hard at Barry and I. It was more than a little disconcerting. "Do you boys love Pokemon?"

Well that was a random question. "Well that should be obvious, yeah!" Barry answered energetically. I jerked my thumb at him as my answer.

"And what would you do with them?" The professor's eyes watched us carefully, and their hard gaze made Barry's otherwise tireless energy pause. "What would you do with the Pokemon that you capture and raise?"

Barry is struggling to come up with an answer under Rowan's harsh gaze, which he only nods at before looking at me. Unlike Barry however, I meet the gaze head on. I don't play well with authority figures or other's trying to intimidate me. I meet them glare for glare, blow for blow. "I would conquer the Pokemon Gym challenge."

Rowan's eyes narrow and his Wurmple-stache twitches on his lip. "The challenge, or your father?" he questions me.

That question through me for a loop, admittedly. I hadn't given much thought to the other gym leaders other than being stepping stones to challenging Volkner. You could challenge the gyms in any order, and the leader would adjust their Pokemon appropriately to your skill level, but I wanted to fight my father at his best. That would mean conquering the other gyms and then convincing him to take it a step farther.

"Both," I answer honestly.

That answer seems to satisfy him, and he takes the briefcase from the girl. "Dawn, go on back to Sandgem. I shall meet you at the lab."

The girl was shocked at her dismissal. "But Professor," she started objecting.

"Go, and ready those parcels that arrived recently. These boys will be assisting with the research once they reach Sandgem."

"You mean to give them one of the Pokemon in your briefcase? But those are rare specimen, Professor!"

"Dawn, I shall not repeat myself. Go," Rowan commanded. Dawn looked visibly conflicted, before she sighed and began walking in the direction of the next town. "Now then," Rowan began as he opened the briefcase towards us. Three pokeballs lolled around in front of Barry and I, and I could hardly catch my breath. "There are three Pokemon in there, and you may choose which of them you shall take for your starter. Should you reach Sandgem town with them within the day, they are yours to keep."

I glanced over at Barry and saw how eager he was to take up the offer. I gave him a nudge and gestured to the case. He let out a loud holler of excitement and grabbed the pokeball labeled Turtwig. Throwing it on the ground, Barry caught the rebound of the pokeball as the grass turtle gave a little yawn in front of him.

Barry was so much like a child, but I guess that was why he was my friend. I knew I was an overly serious person. I turned back to the Professor, who had started closing the briefcase. My anger bubbled in me, "Hey, what are you doing!? Don't I get to pick one?"

He looked at me with genuine surprise at my outburst, "Of course you do, but I thought you would want an Electric-type Pokemon, like your father? There weren't any in there, I only have them at my lab."

I stopped at that, and thought about what he said. Rowan thought that just because of who my father was that I had the same propensity for Electric-type Pokemon. Yet another shadow of my father keeping people from seeing me.

In that moment I made a decision that would knock down the first domino in getting the world to recognize me as Vance instead of 'Volkner's boy'.

"May I see the briefcase again?" Rowan opened it and held it out to me. I already knew which pokeball I was going to take.

The red and white sphere, despite its metallic look, had soft warmth to it that filled my hand. It was the sign of life inside the pokeball. I threw it against the ground and caught the pokeball when it bounced back towards me.

A tiny Piplup looked up timidly at me, and I could feel Rowan's wide eyes on my back. I was grinning like a madman.

* * *

A/N: I go this idea in my head for a Nuzlocke story when I started reading them, so we'll see how it goes. I'm on Spring Break right now, and I have another story in mind that I want to get the first chapter out for a test run, see how people respond to it.

For those of you who don't know, Nuzlocke is a personal challenge in the pokemon games, where you can put certain rules into affect or not. Typically however, it is played with these:

1) If a pokemon faints, it is considered dead and must be released or permanently boxed.

2) You may only catch the first Pokemon that you encounter in any new area. No other in that area. Shinies and legendaries are the exceptions.

3) Battle style is changed to 'Set'

4) Every Pokemon is given a nickname.


End file.
